When did you last seen one of those?

For those cars that may not yet be fully-fledged classics (may never be, in fact), but seem to have joined the ranks of "the disappeared". The once commonplace that, thanks to rust and scrapping, if you see one now, your first thought is "Blimey, I haven't seen one of those for years".

Like this early Espace (which in the bodywork at least is demonstrating why there are so few left)...

That was pretty much my first thought the other day when I saw an Austin Montego Estate.

I also spotted a Volvo 340 and a VW Scirocco Mk2 a week or so ago, both of those used to be everywhere. And I assume that all Opel Mantas have been either trashed to death or are being stored somewhere.

I remember the C&SC team (or a large portion of it) seeing a mint Mk1 Fiesta in Teddington one day this year. Jaws hit floor. At least 20 seconds of reverent silence followed. Then a passionate discussion began.

These may turn out to be the generation X cars because no will save them and no one except us will miss them.

We need to start a campaign.

Worst of all, I now need to see a Fuego just to know that they are not extinct.

Sorry I dont know if this one in the background is now extinct, but obviously I was predominantly interested in a shot of the lovely Healey. seen here in the Royal Harwich Yacht Clubs car park.

A sailing chum Bruce, who has owned a 1970 TR6 from new, used to own the Fuego 2litre GLX, amongst others, and on one occassion I went to a chandlers with him near Felixstowe in it, over the Orwell bridge at break neck speed. He also had a Regie 17, 7 seater estate, but that got written off by a young tearaway, and so they got a Tradget People carrier thinghy instead, +a his and her's Mazda MR6s-all apart from the Ochre Triumph, in silver(as is his now 10 year old Porker Turbo-however Silvia's Boxter S is navy)-I could have bought the Renault Fuego for around 150 quid about 5 to six years ago-it had a towbar, but little evidence of heavy duty towing. However,after a third downsizing move, and still with a brace of cars, we had no accomodation for it-like all Renaults it had extremely comfy seats and I hope it did go to a sympathetic new keeper..

In 1982 if I remember well, I drove an early Opel Corsa S1 from South Spain to Geneva, via Grenoble, almost non stop. Opel Corsas were made in Spain in big numbers, but you hardly see one this days. The little 1000cc was fantastic (in the photo the following 1200cc model) whether on 4-line highways or narrow mountain passes, it could deal with bigger 4-door saloons. Fuel economy was amazing, never drank more than 5 litres each 100km with two or three people aboard and was aerodynamically efficient (not wind noises inside).